NFL Locals: Shadle Park graduate Brett Rypien helps Broncos beat Cardinals, snap losing streak

From staff reports

All the Denver Broncos needed to snap a five -game losing streak was a change at quarterback.

Hosting the Arizona Cardinals with Trace McSorley under center may have helped too.

Shadle Park graduate Brett Rypien led the Broncos to a 24-15 win at Mile High on Sunday, Denver’s fourth of the season and second since beating San Francisco in Week 3.

Rypien started in place of Russell Wilson, who cleared concussion protocol after exiting last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but was ruled out of Sunday’s game anyway.

Rypien completed 21 of 26 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown and one interception, leading Denver to its second-highest scoring total of the season.

The Broncos trailed 6-3 midway through the third quarter, when Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy was knocked out of the game with a concussion. McSorley finished a field goal drive to extend Arizona’s lead to 9-3.

Rypien led touchdown drives on three of the Broncos next four possessions, including a 3-yard touchdown pass to Eric Tomlinson off the back of one of McSorley’s two interceptions.

“We just stuck with it,” Rypien said. “I thought we had some good drives in the first half, but we weren’t able to finish.

“The message at halftime was just to find another level of physicality, find another level of focus and I think we did that.”

Rypien moved to 2-1 in his career as a starter. He completed 24 of 46 attempts for 225 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in a 16-9 loss to the New York Jets on Oct. 23.

Wilson is expected to return for the Broncos’ Christmas Day game at the Los Angeles Rams.

Denver’s win lowered its first-round draft stock (owned by Seattle) from second to third overall.

Arizona safety Jalen Thompson (WSU) had a team-high nine tackles.

• Whatever Kendrick Bourne (EWU) did to have his role reduced in the New England Patriots offense this year, at least it wasn’t this:

In an inexplicable walk-off touchdown, New England’s Jakobi Meyers hurled a lateral 20 yards toward the midfield logo and into the waiting arms of Las Vegas Raiders defender Chandler Jones, who maliciously stiff-armed Patriots quarterback Mac Jones into the turf and sauntered 48 yards into the end zone.

Meyers’ gaff gave the Raiders a 30-24 win on a play the Patriots were aiming to run the clock out and force overtime.

Meyers said after the game he thought he “saw Mac Jones open.”

A Jones sure was open ; he just happened to be in the wrong uniform. And it turns out New England’s Jones isn’t much of a tackler, either.

Bourne was targeted once in the loss with no receptions.

• Carolina Panther linebacker Frankie Luvu (WSU) had eight tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss in a 24-16 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.

Luvu has 78 tackles and five sacks this season, which are both career bests.

• Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (WSU) had one pass defense in a 30-24 OT win over the host Houston Texans.

• New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss (Idaho) had four tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss in a 21-18 win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons.